Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner joins Federation in calls for officers to be vaccinated

2 March 2021

“There are reports of police being spat upon and coughed upon, and I think they deserve to be put right at the top of the vaccination priority.”

Lorne Green, police and crime commissioner for Norfolk, and Chairman of Norfolk Police Federation Andy Symonds, have called on the government to ensure all police officers, including 1,700 officers are protected from the virus.

Mr Green said: “The police face daily risks and they’re prepared to stand in harm’s way to keep safe.

“I think they deserve to be put right at the top of the vaccination priority.”

He said there was a perception vaccinating some professions ahead of others was unfeasible because doctors’ surgeries did not keep a record of people’s jobs, however “we know who the police are so it wouldn’t be that difficult”.

Andy added that he is “flabbergasted” and “angry” that police had not yet received their jabs.

Andy said: “I hold this government in contempt on the matter of vaccinating police officers.

“They have given us lots of platitudes for enforcing these Covid laws, but when asked to protect these cops who are going out and doing their job they’ve refused to do so.

“Out NHS colleagues have quite rightly been given the vaccine, but we are standing next to them without being given that protection and that cannot be right.”

Andy said the lack of vaccinations for police was contrary to the idea of a police covenant, which the government plans to introduce to protect police officers and staff and recognise their service and sacrifice.